Demigod
by lightblue-Nymphadora
Summary: A new camper arrives to Camp Half Blood. Quinn knows its love at first sight, and will do anything to help Rachel get her fathers back. Quinn/Rachel; Santana/Clarisse. Written for Faberry Week
1. Chapter 1

_**LbN: Faberry Week x-over fic. Xposted to Tumblr**_

"Yo, Q! I think we got a new one," Santana called as they put away the swords from practice.

Quinn turned around and saw Chiron walking towards the arena, pointing things out to a small teenage girl with brown hair. "She looks terrified."

"Yeah? Well how scared were we when we got to this place?" Santana said. "At least we had each other. Looks like she came alone."

"She's gorgeous," Quinn muttered.

"Zeus, help me," Santana groaned. She gave Quinn a good swift kick in the shins. "Let's get the rest of this put away, before Clarisse has our asses."

Quinn was still staring. "One minute," she told her best friend, before running off behind Chiron.

"Come on!" Santana yelled behind her.

Quinn didn't listen. She caught up with the Centaur and the girl, and fell into step beside them. "Hey," she said.

"Ah, hello Quinn. Rachel, this is Quinn Fabray, daughter of Aphrodite. Quinn, meet our newest camper, Rachel Berry."

Rachel was still looking around with that overwhelmed expression most campers wear. "Hi," she whispered finally.

Quinn took a step closer and placed a hand on the other girl's arm. "Chiron, can you give us a second."

"Only a second," he said, trotting off a few paces. "You need to go help Santana."

Quinn nodded, and turned back to Rachel. "You came here alone, didn't you?" she asked, taking Rachel's hand.

Rachel nodded. "There were these things…Harpies. They attacked me and my dads…."

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Quinn said softly. "Are you…do you know who your godly parent is?"

Rachel shook her head.

"That's okay. It'll happen soon. If you need anything, ask for me, okay?"

The girl smiled then, visibly calmer. "Thanks."

"I have to go help clean up. I know it's a lot to take in, but you'll be fine." On impulse, Quinn pulled the girl into a hug. She felt Rachel relax in her arms after a second, and the girl was blushing furiously when she pulled away. "See you at dinner."

* * *

"Don't you think you're laying it on a little thick, Fabray?" Santana asked as they made their way through the line for dinner.

"No. She needs a friend right now."

Santana leaned in toward her as they headed back to their tables. "Look…you're my bestie, and I can see you've got your love on for this new kid, but…"

"This isn't a conquest, S," Quinn said quietly. "I…felt something when I saw her. Something real."

Santana's eyes went wide. "Oh holy shit. Okay…well, if you're sure."

They parted as Santana went to Ares' table and Quinn went to Aphrodite's. Quinn waved Rachel over. She'd begged Mr. D to let the girl sit at their table, rather than Hermes' table as was custom.

"Why is she here?" Drew asked when Rachel sat down.

Rachel blanched visibly, and a few of the other campers sent sympathetic looks her way. "I…I…" she stammered.

"I invited her," Quinn said firmly. "And I cleared it with Mr. D, so if you've got a problem, you can talk to him."

That shut the older girl down quick.

The rest of the table went back to their conversations. Quinn glanced over at Rachel and smiled. "Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine."

Rachel smiled back.

Dinner was relatively normal, until Mr. D stood to give announcements. He'd opened his mouth, and then shut it again. A hush fell over the campers, as Mr. D never shut up for anything less than….

"Oh, gods," Quinn said.

Rachel turned.

A beautiful woman was walking through the tables. She had flowing black hair, and a tiny white owl was perched on her shoulder.

"My lady Athena," Mr. D said, raising his glass to her. "To what do we owe this enormous honor?"

"One of my children has come to camp," the goddess said. The words were quiet, but all of the campers heard them. "Annabeth?" Athena called. "Please show your sister to our table. I believe she's eating with the children of Aphrodite." Athena's eyes scanned the crowd and fell on Rachel. "Darling, go with Annabeth."

Quinn squeezed Rachel's hand gently and watched her walk to the front table. She felt a sharp pang of jealousy when Annabeth put an arm around Rachel to hug her.

"All hail Rachel," Chiron called. "Daughter of Athena!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Demigod**

Quinn stayed with Rachel the entire next day, much to Drew and Annabeth's displeasure. Annabeth, she understood…. The Daughter of Athena was uber-protective of her younger siblings, and the Aphrodite cabin had a less than wholesome reputation for breaking hearts into tiny bits. She couldn't figure Drew out, though. Her sister was in an especially vindictive mood for some reason. She had to put it out of her mind, however, as they made their way to sword training with Clarisse.

"Finally!" the daughter of Ares yelled when they made it to the arena. "I was wondering if you two had crept off for some Half-blood loving."

"Clarisse!" Quinn groaned.

The older girl grinned. "Right, Q, jump in with Santana. Newbie Smartypants, get over her with me."

Rachel looked quite terrified, and Quinn pulled Clarisse aside.

"Go easy on her," she said. "It's her first day. And she's heard all about your cabin, so you've got nothing to prove."

"Calm down…I'll be as gentle as I am with all the newbies."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"Pair up!" Clarisse called. "You're fine, Newbie."

"My name is Rachel," the younger girl said.

Clarisse grinned. "Good to know. Newbie Rachel, grab a sword."

"This'll be interesting," Santana commented as she and Quinn took practice swipes at each other.

"Interesting?" Quinn asked, rolling to dodge a blow. "It's going to be a train wreck!"

"It'll be good for her," Santana told her. "You're not going to be around all the time. And Clarisse is harsh, but she's not cruel. She'll teach her the right way to do it."

Quinn nodded and tried to keep an eye on Rachel as Santana did her best to decapitate her. She got the other girl in an arm bar and watched what was progressing with the Newbie and the Vet.

Santana was right. Clarisse wasn't slacking off at all, but she took little pauses to show Rachel how to hold the sword, how to plant your feet to block, and so on. She was winning, but she was teaching.

Quinn went sprawling as Santana rammed an elbow into her gut and swept her feet. "Fuck!"

"Language, Blondie," Santana said, smirking down at her. "Eyes on the prize."

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Quinn asked, catching up to Rachel after practice.

"I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll be extremely sore in the morning," Rachel answered. She tripped slightly, only to be caught by Quinn. "Thanks. You're quick."

"Feels like your legs are made of pudding, right? Don't worry. It goes away after a day or two."

"Yeah? Does fighting Clarisse ever stop hurting?"

"Nope. That never goes away."

Rachel managed a small chuckle as they walked to dinner. "So…you're mom's Aphrodite, then?"

"The one and only."

"What's she like?"

Quinn shrugged. "Like most gods, I guess. Different with all of her children. We've only talked a couple of times."

They made their way to the tables that were set up for dinner. Most of Quinn's cabin was already there. Drew stood up as the girls walked past.

"She can't sit here tonight," she snapped.

Quinn turned a furious gaze toward her, but before she could get anything out, the Ares kids walked by.

"Do you ever stop being such a rancid bitch, Drew?" Clarisse asked conversationally.

"Stay out of this, Clarisse," she snapped. "It's got nothing to do with you."

"Wish you'd clue us in as to what's up your ass, then."

"This is about my sister," she hissed the last word with such open animosity that some of the campers took a step back. "And her infatuation with the nerd."

"Why does it bother you so much that I'm actually a good friend?" Quinn asked.

"Please, like that's all you want…."

"What's going on?"

Everyone turned as a deep voice broke through the argument. Annabeth came through the crowd, holding hands with a tall boy who looked like he'd just stepped out of a pool. Quinn breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, some sense in the group.

"What's going on?" Percy repeated.

"Drew's being a huge tool," Clarisse summarized freely.

"I've had enough of this," Percy said, glaring at Drew. "I told you before I left—control it, or you'll have to leave."

Quinn shook her head at Rachel. She could see that the girl was about to ask a question. "Later," she whispered.

Percy looked around and noticed them. "You must be Annabeth's sister," he said to Rachel. "Welcome to Camp. What's everybody staring at?" he called. "Go eat!"

"After dinner," Quinn whispered. "When everyone's at the Campfire, we can sneak down to the lake."

"Is that allowed?"

"No, that's why I said 'sneak'." Quinn smiled and went to the food line.

* * *

"I don't know what to do…."

They were relaxing on blankets near the lake. Campfire songs could be heard in the distance, but Quinn wasn't paying attention. She was watching Rachel. They hadn't said much, but Quinn had a feeling (or maybe it was just wishful thinking) that the new girl was feeling the same way.

"What do you mean?" Quinn asked.

"My dads got taken by monsters. I'm at some camp for superheroes—"

"Demigods," Quinn corrected, smiling.

"And now your sister hates me for some reason. It's…."

Quinn took her hand. "Terrifying."

"Yeah," Rachel whispered. "Who was that boy? And what did he mean when he told Drew to 'control it'? What's—"

"One thing at a time," Quinn said. "That was Percy Jackson. He's our Camp Leader, along with Clarisse. They had a big part in the Titan Uprising—"

"The what?"

"There's a free hour tomorrow. I'm sure Annabeth will tell you all about it. Anyway, those two are our big shots. They're kind of awesome. Arrogant bastards, but I suppose they've earned it. And…well, some of Aphrodite's children have her traits. Some of us are perfectly normal, but others have Charm Speak or Mother's rather…er…tempestuous nature. Which is what he was telling Drew to control. It almost lost us the war with the Titans. Percy's understanding, but he's not a fool. He knows she's losing control, and he won't let anything hurt the camp."

Rachel nodded, looking at her toes. She looked up at Quinn after a second, quirking her eyebrow. "What's Charm Speak?"

"It's—"

The ground rumbled beneath them. Dirt and sand began to fly around as the girls scrambled to their feet.

"What's happening?" Rachel shouted over the growing roar.

"It's Nico!"

"What?"

"Nico! Get back towards the trees!"

The pair of them stumbled back towards the main part of the camp as a large hole was made in the ground. A motorcycle made of skulls and bones came up out of it, just as Percy, Annabeth, Clarisse and Santana came running down the bank. They spotted Quinn and Rachel, who looked horrified. Clarisse winked at them.

"Nico!" Percy said, smiling brightly. He went to hug the younger man and nearly fell into the impressive pit.

"Easy, Jackson," Nico said, taking off his helmet. "Don't want to have to explain to Daddy why his nephew's coming through the gates. Again."

"What's going on di Angelo?" Clarisse said, giving him a shoulder bump. "We haven't seen you since the battle."

"Yeah, well…battles make running the shop busy."

"The shop?" Rachel whispered to Quinn.

"Hades' son. He means the Underworld." Quinn looked at Rachel and immediately regretted saying anything. The girl looked five seconds away from feinting.

"We need to talk," Nico said. "And the new girl needs to come too."

All eyes turned to Rachel.

Percy nodded. "The Big House. Let's go."

_**LbN: I'll try to be quicker! Next chapter will be in Rachel's POV. **_


	3. Chapter 3

**Demigod**

The meeting in the Big House was relatively subdued compared to the usual lively debates. Nico introduced himself to Rachel as the Camp Leaders went to get Mr. D and Chiron.

"Sorry about the whole apocalyptic entry," he said, smiling. "I know it's a bit much, but the motorcycle is my fastest mode of transport."

"I think I'll survive," Rachel said.

"Right, Nico," Mr. D said, coming into the meeting room. "What's going on?"

"Harpies," he said simply. "Rachel's dads weren't the first to be kidnapped, and they weren't the last."

"Kidnapped?" Clarisse asked, looking from him to Rachel.

"Five sets of parents in the last three days, to be exact," Nico said. "It's not Dad, and as far as we can tell, it's not any of the Olympians either."

"Six," a voice said from the doorway. It was Athena.

Everyone stood in the presence of the goddess. She swept through the room to stand next to Annabeth. "Six," she repeated. "And the god, demigod, or creature is behind this seems to have a thing for my children's parents and stepparents."

"All I've been able to find out is that there's some kind of activity out in the Midwest," Nico said.

"Persephone's Orchard," Athena said, nodding. "It's in Iowa. I'm ordering a quest, and we're not messing about with the prophecies this time. No offense, Rachel Dare."

"None taken, Lady Athena," the Oracle said.

"Rachel…my Rachel," the goddess clarified. "You shall lead the quest."

"Me? But… I just got here! I just started training! I—" She broke off when Quinn took her hand. She felt the same overwhelming sense of comfort as when the blonde hugged her.

Athena smiled. "You will be fine. I must return to Olympus."

She left in a column of flame.

Quinn leaned over and whispered, "You can take two people with you. It'll be okay."

"We'll talk about the logistics of this tomorrow morning," Mr. D grumbled. "Right now, you should all go back to your cabins."

"He's right," Chiron said. "Get some sleep."

* * *

The entire camp knew by lunch the next day. Rachel tried to keep to herself to avoid the questions as much as possible. Santana and Quinn had volunteered to go with her, and since the three of them were still considered camp newbies, Clarisse would go along as well for extra muscle. But it didn't matter; she was still terrified. She'd gone through sword practice with Clarisse again and had decided that it was not her forte. The older woman had assured her that she'd get better, and her instincts would kick in if she was in a real life or death situation. Rachel wasn't thrilled that this was a distinct possibility.

"Tell me they're kidding," a voice said from her left.

She jumped. She'd been so lost in her thoughts on the way to meet Percy that she hadn't noticed Drew practicing on the ropes course. "Afternoon, Drew."

"They aren't really sending you, are they?" the daughter of Aphrodite asked. She jumped down from one of the lower ropes.

"Seems like it. Now if you don't mind—"

"How long did it take Quinn to con you into taking her?"

"She didn't con me," Rachel said sharply. "She volunteered, and I agreed."

Drew snorted and shook her head. "For a daughter of Athena, you're pretty naïve."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Means I've seen the way you look at her. Like you'd follow her to Tartarus and back. And it only took two days. Maybe I should promote her."

"What are you babbling about?" Rachel asked. She wasn't sure what Drew had against her, but it was getting annoying. She'd had enough cryptic BS in the last few days to last her a lifetime.

"You're a conquest," Drew said. "All children of Aphrodite have one. We woo them and break their hearts. It's a thing—don't take it personal."

"Why do I get the feeling you've had more than one?" Rachel said coolly.

Drew leveled an icy stare at her. "Maybe. Maybe that's how I know she's just one wild night away from leaving you."

"She hasn't…she's not…. We're not together, first of all—"

"But you want to be. And for one of us, that's enough."

"Second of all," Rachel said through gritted teeth. "Second of all, she told me she just wants to help me. To keep me safe."

"Please. She's Charm Speaking you."

"What?"

"Oh, you don't know?" And now Drew's smirk became shark-like. "Charm Speak is a gift that we children of Athena have. Pretty easy to get people to fall for us…or give us what we want."

Rachel was silent for a moment. "I don't believe you."

"Yes you do," Drew said with a laugh. "You go on following my sister around like a little puppy. I'll be waiting to say I told you so."

There was a commotion behind them toward the edge of camp.

"Sounds like Lord Hermes is paying a visit," Drew said.

Rachel stayed put for a long moment, before running behind her. She made it to the camp's entrance, where most of the older campers had gathered around a man. She found Quinn and Santana at the edge of the crowd.

"Hey," Quinn said. "Doing okay?"

"Yeah. What's going on?"

"Hermes brought his son to us," Santana explained. "His parents were kidnapped this morning."

The squealing baby was passed off to one of the nymphs.

"Rachel Berry, daughter of Athena," Hermes said.

Automatically, Rachel took Quinn's hand. She ignored the blonde's happy smile and Drew's scornful stare. "Yes…my lord Hermes?"

"I hear you are to go on a quest. I truly hope you succeed."

"Thank you."

"Allow me to give you a gift. Normally, gods do not interfere with the affairs of mortals, but this is a personal offense to all of us. Come hither."

Rachel walked forward, hyper aware of the crowd parting for her.

He pulled a set of keys out of his jacket, and nodded to the RV behind him. "Yours on loan until you catch the lovely person or, as it may be, creature behind these attacks. Clarisse and Santana have been trained in Olympian driver's ed."

"Wow…thank you."

"Don't mention it. No really, please don't. I have a lot of children and they'll all expect a car," he said with a wink. With another click of his fingers, he was gone.

"Right, all of you," Chiron said. "Don't stand around gawping. Time to get ready for tonight's races."

"Races?" Rachel asked Quinn.

"Chariot races," she explained. "Are you okay? I know meeting with a god can be kind of a lot, but you look a little stunned."

"I'm fine," Rachel said, turning away from where Drew was staring at them. She managed to smile at Quinn as they walked back into camp.


	4. Chapter 4

**Demigod**

Rachel met Percy outside of the armory. He was sharpening an impressive sword on the whetstone outside. "Hi Percy!"

"What's up, Rachel?"

"Is that yours?" she asked, and pointed to the sword in his hands.

"Nah," he said, sheathing it and handing it to another camper. "It's Clarisse's. She's racing tonight, so I told her I'd sharpen it. Come on in." He walked over to the building and pulled back the shed door.

Rachel stood in the entrance, stunned.

Swords gleamed off of all the walls. Battle axes and maces hung from pegs on three large stands. Smaller knives and shields shone brightly in the sunlight on the work tables.

"Have at it," Percy said with a grin.

Rachel walked slowly around the vast room. She was pretty sure there was some sort of Olympian mojo going on, because it definitely hadn't seemed this huge from the outside. She picked up a few of the smaller swords, but set them down again quickly.

"I don't know what I'm doing," she admitted in a huff.

"No worries," Percy said. "Do you like swordfighting?"

"Not really."

"Then here." He walked over to a corner where a bunch of cylindrical containers were. He pressed a button near the bottom of one, and the top came away to reveal arrows. "Your family is generally good with a bow. You'll have to practice, but I'm sure Annabeth will give you a hand this afternoon." He handed it to her and grabbed a black and silver bow off the wall. "It's name is Endymion. Looks about your size, but it's Olympian, so it might be…er…fussy. Try holding it."

Rachel took it, half expecting it to explode. Nothing happened though. It was lighter than she'd expected as well. "Seems okay," she said. "Thanks."

"No worries. You'll want to get in some practice before the races tonight. I'll show you to the archery range."

"Great!" she began to follow him out, but stopped, spotting something on one of the work tables. "Hey Percy? What are these?"

He came back over and looked at the palm sized squares that Rachel was holding up. "Oh, those are traps. No one uses them. We can't figure them out. Have a go at them if you want."

Rachel grabbed four of them and put them in her bag before following Percy out of the armory.

* * *

By dinner that night, Rachel's arms were so sore that she could barely lift them. She smiled at Quinn on her way to the food line, and ignored Drew's gaze. One of the things she'd picked up the fastest was the whole sacrificing food bit. She scraped a bit of pasta into the fire and mumbled, "Athena." She had no idea what it was for, other than to show respect, but she hoped it made her mom happy.

"Sup, Rachel?" one of her "brothers" said as she sat down. His name was Greg, and he'd been just as helpful as Annabeth and Quinn.

"Not much," she said, smiling.

"I see you've gone in Annabeth's footsteps with the bow and arrow," he said. "How's that going?"

"Well, it's quite gratifying to know that I can at least hit the target, if not the bull's-eye."

Greg laughed. "Hey, we all got to start somewhere…. Just remember, you're never aiming high enough."

"You didn't even see me practice!" Rachel said, laughing.

"Doesn't matter. You're never aiming high enough."

The meal passed without incident, and she didn't even feel Drew glaring at her. She turned to glance at the Aphrodite table and saw the older girl talking with one of the other kids at the table. She caught Quinn's eye and smiled.

"Ready to roll? Literally?" Greg asked.

"Chariot races, right?" Rachel asked.

"Right. Prepare to be amazed. Will you be sitting with your girlfriend?"

"She'll probably sit with—you mean Quinn?" Rachel stopped herself.

Greg grinned and threw an arm around her shoulders as they walked. "Course."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "She'll probably sit with her siblings, right?"

"Bet she'll come over to sit with you."

He was right.

Quinn came and sat next to her as the stands began to fill. "Hey. We're leaving tomorrow."

"Yeah."

"Are you doing okay?"

"So far. I'm in the overwhelmed zone right now. I'm sure it'll officially sink in when we get on the road."

"Don't worry. We've got your back."

"Hey Quinn?"

"Yeah?"

"I have a question…."

"Hit me with it."

"Santana and Clarisse…they seem close…." She looked down to where the two were checking over their chariot. "Like really close. Are they…?"

"Yeah, they're together," Quinn confirmed.

"But aren't they…sisters?"

"Huh? Oh!" she said, realization coloring her face. "No, no. Santana's not a daughter of Ares. She's not even a Greek demigod. She's from Camp Jupiter—the Roman camp. She's the daughter of Bellona, the Roman goddess of war. Santana saved Clarisse's life during the war, and they were kind of inseparable after that. She lives here now, since Clarisse is Camp Leader and can't leave for good."

A gong sounded and the audience started to cheer. The racers lined up at the starting point as Quinn explained the race to Rachel.

"Hephastus's cabin has won the last seven races. It's getting ridiculous. The object is to collect the rings stationed around the track. Cabin with the most rings wins."

"So…like Greek Sonic."

"Exactly." Rachel smiled and took Quinn's hand. It was official, she wasn't imagining the feeling she got whenever the blonde touched her. "Who's racing for your cabin?" she asked.

"Drew and my brother Charlie."

The chariots pulled off. Percy pulled ahead of Drew, sticking close to the inner edge. He was the only one without a partner. Instead, his chariot had metal cases of water attached to it. Rachel was wondering what these were for, when the son of Poseidon flung out his hand. Some of the water formed into a trident, which he hurled at the Artemis chariot. The water exploded like a bomb, and the chariot went swerving off the track, taking out the Apollo chariot in the process.

Rachel gasped. "Oh my goodness!"

Quinn put an arm around her. "Don't worry, they'll be fine."

The Athena chariot was neck in neck with the Aphrodite chariot, with Clarisse and Santana just ahead of them. The Hephastus chariot was catching up with Percy. Leo was driving to the left, trying to hit the son of Poseidon's chariot. Shane, Leo's second, hit a button. There was a sound like cannon fire, and they shot forward with a burst of Olympian fire. Percy swerved, falling behind Clarisse and Santana, but managed to right himself.

"This is terribly exciting!" Rachel yelled over the noise. She realized she was clinging to Quinn, but she didn't care.

Drew caught up with Clarisse, and pulled slightly ahead. Instead of pulling ahead completely, she rammed the side of the spike on her wheel. The crowd booed.

"You're not supposed to do that," Quinn explained.

The impact nearly sent Santana tumbling from the chariot, but Clarisse caught her. Greg, Annabeth's second, shot an arrow at Drew's left wheel. It connected, and three seconds later there was a small explosion. The spike was left on the track.

They rounded the corner and the first group of rings was ahead of them. Mechanical claws came out of Leo and Shane's chariot, and they managed to grab three. Annabeth and Greg shot net arrows through two. Santana managed to skewer four with her spear. Percy got four with a water tornado, and Drew and Charlie got two.

"Two more laps to go, and we start adding obstacles on this one."

"Obstacles?" Rachel asked. Then she noticed the fire that shot across the track. "What the—?"

"It's not real," Quinn said as one of Greg's arrows made Leo and Shane go spinning off the track. "It's warm, but it's fake. You can't get burned or anything. Just a mind game."

It was just the Athena, Poseidon, Ares and Aphrodite kids now. Percy dumped two more containers of water, causing a wave to wash over Annabeth and Greg. Their chariot got stuck in the resulting mud.

Drew had caught up to Clarisse by now, this time on the left. She rammed the chariot with the right wheel's spike. This time, there was a sickening crunching sound, and a scream. The spike had torn through the chariot's armor and wood, and cut a gash in Clarisse's leg. Santana managed to steer the chariot to the side of the track, but it still flipped and tossed them into the grass.

"DREW!" Percy yelled. He pulled his chariot over and ran across the field to Clarisse and Santana.

"Come on," Quinn said, tugging on Rachel's hand.

They ran down to where the other racers, Mr. D, and Chiron were gathered.

Clarisse was sitting up while one of the Artemis kids wrapped her leg. She was bleeding profusely through the cloth.

"Get her to the nurse's cabin, fast," Mr. D ordered. "She'll need a few days rest for that one."

"We leave tomorrow, Mr. D!" Clarisse protested.

He looked grim. "They do," he said, pointing to Rachel, Santana and Quinn. "You don't."


	5. Chapter 5

**Demigod**

The next day dawned bright and cold. They'd packed everything the night before, and were ready to go after breakfast. Santana was in a foul mood, having visited Clarisse before the meal.

"I hate leaving her behind," she grumbled. "She's feeling better, but Mr. D said it was still a no."

"We'll be okay. And maybe she can catch up with us in a few days," Quinn said.

Santana shrugged. "Let's get this party started."

The campers stood as the trio made their way to the edge of the camp. Percy pressed his way to the front of the crowd. "Quinn!"

She stopped as the other two got into the RV. "What's up, Percy?"

"You know how Annabeth gets about her siblings," he said, eyes flicking toward Rachel. "Don't let anything happen to her."

"Trust me when I say that I will protect her with my life." She squeezed his shoulder and entered the RV just as Santana was revving the engine. They looked out of the window to see the campers saluting them.

"May I remind the pair of you that this is one of Hermes's cars," Santana said. "As in, designed by him and Apollo? Crazy fast? Might want to buckle up."

Quinn pulled Rachel down in the seat with her, even as the brunette was asking, "What does that mean?"

Santana put the car in gear. There was a lurch, and they were speeding through the woods.

"What the hell?" Rachel yelped.

"Gets us there in a hurry," Quinn said. "Why don't we talk about something to take your mind off of it?"

"Yes please," Rachel said.

Quinn looked over in concern. The younger girl looked a bit green. "How much did Annabeth tell you about the Titan Uprising?"

"She got to the part where she and Clarisse set half of Rome on fire."

"Ah, we're getting to the good part then."

Rachel pulled out one of the puzzle traps and played with it as Quinn told her about the penultimate battle of the war.

* * *

They stopped for lunch just outside of Chicago. Sitting around the table, they pulled out the map and checked.

"We're moving about double speed," Santana said. "The orchard is between two Podunk Iowa towns, but we should make it there around dinner time. Assuming we don't run into anything…er…scary."

"So what happens when we get there?" Quinn asked.

"Is Persephone a…nice goddess?" Rachel asked. "We could talk to her. Nico didn't say what was going on out there, just that there was activity."

"She's okay, according to Annabeth," Quinn said, nodding. "But I wouldn't bring up Nico if I were you. She doesn't like him too much."

"Right. Family dynamics?"

"Like a mofo," Santana confirmed, finishing off her milkshake.

Quinn flagged the waitress down. "Hi, could we have our check please?"

"Oh, your meal's been taken care of," she said, smiling and nodding to a man in the corner booth.

Something about him made Rachel's teeth hurt, but the other two looked elated to see him.

"Try not to make it too obvious," Quinn said.

"Huh?"

"The gods tend to pass on their…feelings about other gods to their kids. He and Bellona get on alright, and he and my mom are shagging, so S and I are fine. He and Athena fight like, well, brother and sister. And it's super obvious right now that you're a child of Athena's," she finished in a whisper. She smiled as Rachel nodded and schooled her features into a neutral expression.

"Uncle A," Santana said as the biker passed the table.

He glanced sideways at them and smiled. "You should have a chat with your woman, Santana. Terrible temper she has."

"Oh, gods…. What did she do?"

"She wasn't happy about being left out of the fun and messaged me to talk some sense into your camp director. The resulting row was one for the ages," he said with a chuckle. Then he looked at Rachel. "Daughter of Athena," he said, nodding to her once. "If you've never seen my Clarisse lose her temper, you're in for a treat. Just make sure to stand well back when it happens. Anyway, she called in one of her favors and asked me to help out a bit." He passed Rachel a book.

"Stymphalian birds?" she asked. "That's what's in the orchard?"

He nodded. "They used to be mine, but Hercules took care of them all. At least, I thought he had. Now they're breeding again. Persephone will talk to you. But you should get going. I'm not going to babysit you and demigods out after dark always invite trouble."

Rachel watched him go, and then glanced down at the small booklet. "This is not good."

* * *

The walls were about eight feet high, with beautiful silver gates. They could see the top of the house, and through the gates they could spot the front porch and the rest of the orchard.

Quinn pushed the buzzer on the intercom and a face appeared on the screen.

"Welcome, daughter of Aphrodite. You and your companions may enter, but please leave that eyesore of Hermes's out on the drive."

The three of them looked toward the gate as it swung open silently. Quinn took Rachel's hand as Santana led the way through the silver arches. They made their way up the short path to the house.

A tall black woman met them at the door. "Finally. Anytime something goes wrong, demigods show up. I've been waiting for two weeks."

"Just before the kidnappings started," Quinn said.

"Apparently. But who is your friend?" she asked, glancing at Rachel. "I don't remember seeing her the last time I went to Camp."

"Rachel," she told her. "Daughter of Athena."

Persephone nodded approvingly. "Good. We could use more wisdom in the world. Come in," she said, beckoning for them to follow. She took them into a large sitting room and flicked on the TV. It showed an aerial view of the orchard. "My most treasured trees are within the wall, under my direct protection. Those mangy buzzards can't get in. however, I own the lands around here as well. My other trees haven't faired so well, I'm afraid."

"Is that…bird poop?" Rachel asked.

The dead trees were covered in a silver muck that sparkled a bit in the sun.

"Yep. Toxic bird poop."

"Their shit is literally poison?" Santana asked.

"Unfortunately. There are only five of them out there, but they're causing immeasurable damage. I'd be eternally grateful if you three could sort them out."

The three girls shared a glance.

"We'll do it," Rachel said finally.


	6. Chapter 6

**Demigod**

Persephone walked them through the orchard to the wall on the southernmost edge. There was a large door made of roughly cut wood. The silver gates at the front had been strong, but beautiful—secure, but inviting. This door was dark, and solid, and said very clearly, "Keep out."

"I shall watch for you to come back," she told them, turning a heavy silver key in the lock.

The three of them marched slowly through the door. None of them could ignore the two-foot long claw marks that marred the outside of it. They stopped as the goddess made the sign to ward off evil. She put both hands up, palms out, and pushed at the air in front of them. "I wish you luck, demigods."

Rachel wanted to take Quinn's hand, but she knew this wasn't the time. She was a warrior now, whatever the hell that meant, and she had to be brave. She took Endymion from her shoulder and looked around. "I think we should head farther south," she said, hoping she sounded surer than she felt. "These trees look healthy."

Santana nodded and drew her sword. "I'll take the lead." She moved ahead of them, and they began their trek through the trees.

Rachel moved slowly on, watching the left, as Quinn kept an eye on the right and rear. The trees and vines got steadily darker until they were finally among the dead and decaying plants. They didn't speak until they were deep into the trees that were covered in the most muck. "Cover me," Rachel said. She didn't know much lingo, but she knew that meant "Watch my back," from the war movies she'd watched with her fathers. Her fathers…. She felt a pang of sadness as she trudged through the dead brush to one of the crap-covered trees. Forcing herself to concentrate, she took out a few small glass vials and collected some of the Stymphalian dung.

"What are you doing?" Quinn whispered.

"If it's toxic to us, it's probably toxic to other things. It could come in handy later," Rachel answered, corking the vials and jogging back over to the other two.

"Okay…" Santana said, nodding. "What now?"

They stood with their backs to each other, waiting.

"Hercules had to scare them out of their trees before he killed them," Quinn said.

Automatically, Rachel looked up. "Um…guys?"

It had been easy to miss. The birds, each the size of a suitcase, had been sleeping with their wings wrapped around them. The effect was that they had looked like part of the decaying trees. Now, however, they were awake.

"Move!" Santana yelled.

The girls dove away from each other as the five birds sprang to life. This was it—this was what Greg and her siblings had been talking about. It did come naturally, now that it wasn't just training. She didn't think, she just reacted. The birds dove for them, sending leaves and dead branches scattering. Every time one of them screeched, she saw rows of sharp bronze teeth. She ducked behind a tree and managed to draw her bow.

The miss was so spectacular that she couldn't even feel properly embarrassed about it. It grazed the bottom of the bird's wing and stuck in a tree.

"Get down!" Santana yelled.

Rachel dropped and when she looked up again there was a short spear lodged in the bird's chest.

"Aim for the top near the throat!" Quinn yelled dislodging her sword from a bird.

Rachel was lifting her bow to draw again as Santana took down another one. The two remaining birds were charging Quinn at the moment. Rachel took a shot, managing to hit its leathery wing this time. It rounded on her so fast that she didn't have time to draw another arrow. She was knocked onto her back and settled on using Endymion as a spear. It didn't do much, but the snapping beak of the bird was at least kept at a good distance. "Santana!" she yelled.

Before the other girl could rush over, however, a dark shadow passed over the clearing. Something large and heavy side-swiped the bird, and made Rachel lose her grip on the bow. It was the RV.

"What the hell?" Quinn asked.

The side door opened and they saw Clarisse at the wheel. "Are there any more of them? Glad this thing has a flying feature…."

Rachel lay still in shock. She knew she had to get up, but she couldn't get over the rapid beating of her heart.

Quinn ran over and held out a hand. "Easy. You okay?"

She nodded, not trusting herself not to be sick if she opened her mouth.

"Come on."

Rachel started to follow the blonde, but Santana stopped them.

"Wait guys, come look at this."

They followed her down the path, a bit past one of the birds she'd killed. They were standing, it seemed, at the top of a steep hill. At the bottom, there was a large circle of paper and twigs.

"Ares did say they were breeding," Rachel muttered. "It's a nest."

"Oh for crying out loud."

"It's empty though," Clarisse said, hobbling up next to them.

"What the hell are you even doing here?" Quinn asked.

"Hid in the back of the van once Mr. D got done yelling at me. Like I was going to let you three have all the good fun…."

They stood looking down at the nest for a moment.

"It's not empty," Rachel said. "Look, those things that look like rocks." She started down the hill, but Quinn put a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait…it might not be safe."

"Probably not, but we have to do something about it. We can't come out here every six months to do pest control for Persephone."

"Though, if you think about it, isn't that what demigods sort of are?" Santana mused. "One big pest control service for the gods."

Rachel half ran, half slid down the hill. The wall of paper and branches was nearly to her chin. She climbed up and sat on the ledge, looking at some of the newspapers. "Guys," she called down. "All of these papers are from Texas."

"What?" Clarisse asked.

"San Antonio Express News, Austin Herald, San Marcos Times…. Do you think that's where the harpies are taking the parents?"

"Persephone did tell me something about the birds being gone for days at a time," Clarisse said.

"Then it looks like that's our next stop," Quinn said. "Here, Rachel." She tossed up a large black stick and a lighter. "It'll kill anything even somewhat living in there. Crack the stick and toss it in. Then light one of the branches and toss it too."

Rachel did so, and the blaze started as they trouped back up the hill. "What happens when it's burned the nest down?"

"It'll die out when it runs out of fuel," Clarisse said.

* * *

Persephone ushered them into the house again when they returned. Her gratitude was palpable. "A gift," she said, handing Rachel a large silver apple. "More powerful than ambrosia, so use it carefully. It is from one of my most treasured trees."

"Thank you," Rachel said, stooping to put it in her bag. As she stood, something caught her eye. "Er…Persephone? Is that a maze?"

The goddess looked behind her and smiled. "Ah, yes. Not the Labyrinth you demigods usually hear about, but one of the more beautiful ones. Kings used to use them to decorate as well as add a level of security. This was in the garden of Melanion—a noble of Agamemnon's time. I see by your eyes that you've seen it before."

"I…I think I have," Rachel said, an idea forming in your head.

Persephone smiled. "There is an inn a few miles away called Calypso's Bed and Breakfast—do not worry, it isn't really her. But the owner is a friend of mine. She will give you shelter for the night. I wish you luck on your journey, demigods."

The four of them said their goodbyes and piled back out to the RV. Santana took the wheel this time, and soon Persephone's orchard was a distant spot in their rearview mirror.

Rachel looked down at Clarisse's leg. "Here," she said, reaching into her bag for the apple.

"No…I'll keep going with the ambrosia. It's okay, thanks."

"If we get into demigod fights every day, you won't have time to heal," Rachel said. "Here, if we use an apple slicer that six pieces. One for each of us and two extra."

Reluctantly, Clarisse took the slice Rachel offered her. "Thanks," she said. The wound on her leg closed as soon as she took a bite.

Rachel smiled. "You won't get in trouble for this, will you?" she asked hesitantly.

"Sure I will. But you learn with demigods, if we're not pissing off someone, we're not doing it right."

"Makes me feel better about Drew…."

"Don't listen to her, she's insane," Quinn said.

Rachel grinned and sat next to her.

"So where had you seen that maze before?" Santana asked, coming to a stop in front of the bed and breakfast.

Rachel hesitated slightly. "I'm not sure," she lied. "I just think I remember it from somewhere."

"Demigod intuition," Clarisse grumbled. "It's a pain in the ass."

"Don't worry," Quinn said. "It'll come back to you."

Rachel nodded, and walked with them into the small inn. She felt bad about lying, but she wasn't sure if her idea was correct. She was already failing miserably at fighting; she didn't want to tell them any half baked ideas yet.

Later that night though, when everyone was asleep and she couldn't stand it anymore, she dragged her bag into the bathroom and opened the front pocket. She pulled out the unsolvable traps and looked them over, finally selecting the smallest one. She turned it over in her hands a few times until she was sure. The traps were 3D block renderings of labyrinths. And she knew how to solve them.


	7. Chapter 7

**Demigod**

Quinn woke up feeling 150 percent refreshed. She was also, she realized, wrapped snugly around Rachel.

"Morning,' the smaller girl muttered, eyes fluttering open.

"Morning. Sorry, I'm a sleep cuddler."

"It's fine."

Quinn smiled, hugged Rachel close for a second, tried to ignore the rush of bliss she felt when the younger demigod hugged back, and rolled out of bed. "Rise and shine, you two," she called, tossing a pillow at Santana and Clarisse.

Santana caught it without sitting up and snuggled into the daughter of Ares.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "We can get started. They'll be a while."

Rachel smiled and began shuffling around her bags. One of the traps fell out.

"Did you ever figure out what that was?" Quinn asked.

"Oh! Yes. And we need to stop by a bookstore, by the way."

"Why?"

"They're mazes. I need to know about any labyrinths in Greek mythology."

"That's easy," Clarisse said, hip checking Quinn out of the way of the sink. "We can just drop a drachma for an Iris message to Annabeth. She's probably got a catalogue in her head or some shit."

"No, I need to see them," Rachel said.

"No problem," Quinn said. "There's got to be a million Barnes and Noble bookstores between here and San Antonio. We'll stop at the first one we spot."

* * *

It ended up being the third one they spotted, because Santana was driving too fast to stop at the first ones. They pulled into the parking lot and hopped out. It was a strip mall, bustling, but not busy. The three veteran demigods followed Rachel into the bookstore. Santana and Clarisse made a beeline for the magazine rack while Rachel and Quinn wandered to the history section. Quinn took Rachel's hand and smiled.

"So…tell me about your dads," she said softly.

Rachel smiled. "One's an accountant and the other is a marketing exec. They met during a baseball game. Dad had never been to one, so some of his friends took him. Daddy was sitting right in front of them. He caught a foul ball, but he said Dad looked so disappointed he had to give it to him. They struck up a conversation and the rest is history. What about your parents?"

Quinn shrugged, not letting go of Rachel's hands while they perused the bookshelves. "I don't know too much about them, really. My stepmom came around about a year and a half after I was born. Once she knew about…me…she sort of gave my dad an ultimatum. He held out until I was three, and then he shipped me off to camp."

"That's awful," Rachel said quietly.

Quinn squeezed her hand gently. "All of us make it there at some point. It's okay. I still see him a couple of times per year. Plus, I'm happy at camp. I have my siblings, and Santana and Clarisse. And…."

"And me."

"Yeah." Quinn ducked her head a little to hide her blush. She waited silently while Rachel flipped through a few books.

Rachel sneezed. It seemed oddly loud in the quiet bookstore.

"Bless you," Quinn said absently. It seemed a bit too quiet, actually. "Find the one you need?" she asked, voice dropping to a whisper.

Rachel nodded, seeming to pick up on Quinn's unease in an instant.

"Let's find Santana and Clarisse."

"No need, demigod," a gentle voice said from behind them.

They spun around to see Clarisse and Santana standing with a lady. She looked to be about thirty, except for her eyes. Something about the oceans of dark green made her seem incredibly old—like those eyes had witnessed centuries.

"Be cool," Clarisse told them. "She's—"

"Erato," Quinn finished. "A muse."

"Exactly," Santana said. "Let's get the book and go," she added in an undertone.

"Don't be in such a rush, young Roman," Erato said. "Stay a while. You never know what you'll learn in books. Quinn…your young friend looks apprehensive."

Quinn glanced over at Rachel and found that the girl had, indeed, taken a step back. "It's okay," she said, taking her hand again.

"You are the leader of this quest, demigod?"

"Yes," Rachel said, nodding.

"And what is your name?"

"Rachel Berry. Wait, how did you know Quinn's name, but not mine?"

"I have a special connection with all of the children of Aphrodite. I am the muse of love poetry after all. I have given us a bit of privacy to talk, but the charm will wear off in a minute, so we must make haste. I do not possess the sight in the same fashion that the gods do, but I wish to help you nevertheless. In exchange for a promise…."

"What kind of promise?" Rachel asked.

"If my information is helpful…I wish to be returned to my home."

"Where's that?"

"New York. I imagine that you will have to come back through my state to get there? Take me with you."

"Rachel, no," Quinn said quietly, shaking her head.

"Come on, Q," Santana argued. "We're shooting in the dark here!"

"Sorry, but I'm hesitant to get into deals with gods and…er…godly beings."

"A rather wise statement for the daughter of Aphrodite. Are you sure you're not one of Athena's?" Erato remarked with a smile.

"Why do you want to go back to New York?" Rachel asked after a moment.

"Oklahoma isn't exactly the best spot for nurturing romantic poetry. There are only so many country songs I can inspire, and most of them run off to Tennessee as soon as the inspiration hits."

"Why are you out here in the first place?" Rachel asked.

"Ahh…you are a daughter of Athena, young Rachel. You want all the information before you make your decision."

"I just don't want to get blasted off the face of the earth if Zeus banished you or something like that."

Erato chuckled and shook her head. "No, nothing like that, my dear. I fell in love with a mortal, and followed him out to this gods forsaken state. You see, demigod, I do not have the power of free roaming as you do. I must be taken from place to place, and then I remain tied there through my relationship to the land. I had made a home here when the mortal ran off to be with some 19 year old tattoo artist named Skyy. Thus, I need someone to take me back."

Rachel looked at Quinn, then over to Santana and Clarisse.

"Rachel," Quinn insisted. She sighed and shrugged. "I don't have a good explanation, just…no."

Rachel squeezed her hand. "Clarisse? What do you think?"

The oldest demigod stared at the group. Around them, time was slowly slipping back to normal. "This is only binding if the information is helpful?"

"She knows it will be," Quinn said, not taking her eyes off Rachel. "She wouldn't have offered otherwise."

Rachel looked back and forth between them, and then let go of Quinn's hand. "Okay," she said, taking another step towards Erato. "You have my word. I swear on the River Styx, if we can use your information, we'll take you with us back to New York."

There was a thunder clap in the distance, and Quinn half expected Erato to change into some gigantic monster, or a look of triumph at least.

But there wasn't. The Muse only looked happy and relieved.

"Thank you, demigods," she said. "And now, for my end of the bargain…. I do not know who is behind this exactly, but I know that it is another demigod."

"Really?" Santana asked.

"Yes. As I said, I do not have the same sight as the gods, but I can feel other godly beings and demigods. This definitely reeks of demigod drama. There is a man with a ranch in Texas. His name is Sherman—Sherman Valley Ranch. You'll find he may have more answers for you."

"Thank you," Clarisse said, as time snapped back to normal.

"You are welcome. Have the book as a gift," she added, nodding to the book in Rachel's hands.

"We should go," Clarisse said, checking her watch.

Quinn breathed again. She just wanted to leave. She still felt uneasy, but she had no idea what it was about, if Erato wasn't a threat. A sense of relief washed over her as Rachel took her hand again. She smiled at the younger girl. "Let's roll."


	8. Chapter 8

**Demigod**

_There was a murky blue tint in the air. Rachel looked around at all of the statues. Wait…these weren't statues. She rushed through the crowd of motionless people, looking for two men specifically. There they were, near the far corner of the room, huddled up with another group of frozen parents. _

"_Dad?" she whispered, touching his face. "Daddy?"_

_They stayed completely still, but she could tell that they were alive. There was a brighter glow around them. Looking around, she saw that all the parents had it. Some were brighter than others, and a few had died out completely…._

"_You!" a voice boomed._

* * *

Rachel woke up with a gasp. She shot up in bed, looking around wildly. She hadn't seen where, or whom, the voice was coming from, and she didn't know where the blue room was. Still, she knew it had been real. The cold clamminess still lingered on her skin. Trying to calm down, she took a few deep breaths and slid back under the covers. She wondered if taking Quinn's hand would help her calm down, but she didn't want to wake the older girl up.

"Rachel?"

So much for that plan….

"Hey."

"What's wrong? You're shaking."

"I…er…had a nightmare," she said, glad that it was dark enough to hide her blush. She cringed when Quinn rolled over and turned on the lamp. "It's nothing. Go back to sleep."

"It could be something," Quinn said carefully. "Demigods have weird dreams all the time, but especially when something wonky's going down. You can talk to me, you know."

Rachel nodded. "I was in a room—it was wherever all the parents are being kept. They're…there's something wrong with them. It's like they're frozen. I don't know where I was…but someone saw me. It was a man's voice."

Quinn squeezed her shoulder. "We're going to find them. Everything's going to work out."

Rachel smiled as the now familiar feeling of comfort warmed her. She leaned on Quinn's shoulder and sighed when the blonde pulled her closer. "Sure you're not just Charm Speaking me to make me feel better?"

Quinn laughed, then stopped suddenly. "Wait…how do you even know what that is? Wait, don't tell me…Drew again?"

Rachel nodded, not meeting Quinn's eye. She hated to admit it, but it was something that had been worrying her a little.

"Is that why you agreed with Santana at the bookstore?" Quinn asked after a moment.

"No! Not really…. I really did agree with her about taking Erato with us. It's just…whenever you suggest something, I feel…drawn to you. It's weird."

"Then I think right now would be a good time to tell you that I can't Charm Speak."

Rachel looked up at her finally. She found her voice after a second. "What?"

"I can't do it. That's not what I got from my mother. Drew can do it, but she's…er…well, she's gods awful at it. There's something else going on here, with us," Quinn said. "I know you feel it too."

"I do. Wait, what did you get from your mother if it's not Charm Speak?"

Quinn groaned. "Caught that, did you? It's pretty much the worst gene from the Olympian gene pool. Ever met someone that you were pretty sure you'd met before? Not in the déjà vu sense, but just…a feeling?"

"Yeah?"

"One of my siblings. For most people, they see us the way they want to see us. That feeling is coming from the fact that your brain is making up our description as you go. Santana likes to tell me that I'm a busty redhead," she added, rolling her eyes.

"So you're not really blonde with green eyes and perfect?" Rachel asked with a smile.

Quinn looked surprised. "Yes, actually. I am."

"How many people see you like that?"

"Santana, though she'll never admit it, my dad, Chiron and Mr. D. My mother. And you apparently," Quinn said with a smile.

"What about Annabeth?"

"I look like her, but with blonde hair. We had a long discussion on the Freudian implications of that…."

"Hector?"

"He says I look like Halle Berry, but I think he's having me on."

Rachel stifled her laughter in a pillow. Santana and Clarisse were just on the other side of the wall, and the walls here were thin.

"Greg thinks I'm five inches taller, Percy thinks I look like Blair off of Gossip Girl, Drew says I look like Gollum…" Quinn listed, laughing at Rachel's scandalized gasp. "We should get some sleep."

"I guess," Rachel agreed, mind reeling. "Do you really think we're going to find them in time?" she whispered once Quinn had shut off the light and settled into bed again.

"In time?"

"Some of them…some of them…" Rachel said, choking up.

Quinn pulled her close and wrapped her arms around her. "We'll find them in time."

* * *

They pulled through the gates of Sherman Valley Ranch around ten o'clock the next morning, and it was apparent to even Rachel that something was fifty flavors of wrong.

"We just went through a barricade," Clarisse said.

"I didn't see anything when we were driving up to it," Santana said.

"I didn't notice until I looked at the dash." Clarisse pointed to a bunch of little symbols on the panel. "It just dropped thirty degrees."

Rachel stood and looked out the window. They were driving along a dirt road through what looked like a corn field. Ahead of them was a large ranch house, surrounded by a wooden fence. "I'm having reservations…."

"You and me both," Santana agreed.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that since that barricade didn't stop us from getting in, it's probably there to keep people from getting out," Quinn said.

"Right, well…we're here now," Clarisse said, parking close to the house. Then she groaned. "Oh no…."

"What?" Rachel asked.

The older demigod cracked a window. "Get a whiff of that?"

Rachel nearly gagged. "What is that?" she choked out, pulling her shirt up to cover her mouth and nose.

Quinn had turned green, and Santana had plugged her nose with tissue.

Clarisse grimaced. "Minotaurs."

_**LbN: We should have two more updates this weekend. Not much farther to go! There's a new poll on my profile if you want to vote. **_


	9. Chapter 9

**Demigod**

Mrs. Sherman had bustled them inside, fussing and cooing over them. Clarisse looked like she was about to be sick from all of it, Santana and Quinn were both slightly terrified at the boisterous woman, but Rachel took it all with a sort of gentle grace.

"Now you two," she said, shoving a stack of plates and cups into Clarisse and Santana's hands. "You set the table. Little angel over here," she said, nodding at Quinn. "You can help me with the food. Sweetie pie, you're on drinks," she told Rachel.

Their stammers of mission-related pleas were met with a stern look. "Mr. Sherman'll be down when he smells the vittles, I reckon. Now get to setting that table. You can't go off fighting monsters on an empty stomach."

Sure enough, as soon as the places were set and Quinn and Mrs. Sherman had carried all the dishes over, a man walked downstairs. He was surprisingly skinny. Quinn had figured he'd be a big, bulky cowboy type, but this man looked like your average IT guy. He even had the 80s glasses.

"Afternoon, demigods," he said with a slight smile. "I hope you're hungry. We knew you were coming, so we whipped up something quick."

"Quick?" Rachel whispered to Quinn.

The table had chicken, brisket, green beans, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, cabbage, pasta, salad, bacon wrapped asparagus, beets, pickles, corn, some sort of hash, rolls and croissants on it. It could've kept a small nation alive for at least a month.

"Have a seat," Mr. Sherman said.

They did so, but none of the girls touched their food.

"Oh…right," he said. "I swear on the River Styx that neither I nor my wife have tampered with, drugged, or otherwise damaged your food."

There was a thunderclap in the distance, and Mrs. Sherman nodded encouragingly.

"Eat up," she said. "It's been ages since we were able to entertain."

A true daughter of Ares, Clarisse didn't need telling twice. She dug into her plate like she hadn't seen food before.

"Chew with your mouth closed, babe," Santana reminded her with a fond smile.

Quinn smiled and shook her head at the pair as Rachel spoke with Max Sherman.

"I'm really sorry about all this," he was saying, picking at his own food. He took a few bites and put his fork down. "It wasn't what I'd…I didn't think this would happen."

"You know what's going on?" Quinn asked.

"Oh yes, unfortunately," Max said, hands shaking a bit. He glanced out the window, eye giving a nervous tick. "I tried to stop it. I'm sure you smelled the lovely aroma of my bodyguard when you stopped."

"Couldn't miss it," Rachel said, helping herself to some more potatoes.

"It was assigned," he said the word with enough distaste for people in Arizona to feel it, "to me by my brother. Hector—he lives out in Colorado." He slid a picture over to Rachel. At her questioning gaze, he said, "I knew you were coming. You young demigods aren't the only ones with strange dreams."

Quinn looked over her should to see. It was a picture of a man who sort of looked like Max, only he was muscular, with a deep red beard. And where Max was kind and sort of skittish, you could nearly feel self-satisfaction radiating off the picture of Hector.

"He started sending the birds down here with messages. He needed me to track the other demigods' parents for him. I'm the brains, apparently," he said, blushing and looking morosely at his plate. "I wouldn't for a while, but then…." He glanced around the table, eyes falling on the equally saddened Mrs. Sherman. "The Minotaur is on orders to…be generally unpleasant if we don't cooperate."

"Oh, we can take care of that problem," Clarisse nearly growled.

"After," Rachel said quickly, "you tell us why he even wants the parents. It makes no sense."

"Vengeance rarely does," Max said sadly. "He was always angry at our father—Apollo. But in these last few years…I think he harbors some jealousy towards you. We didn't know about…our talents until well into our teen, almost adult, years. When young Mr. Jackson made the gods agree to claim their children, well…. He was angry. Jealous. He wanted to punish them—the gods."

"So he's taking all of the demigods' earthly parents away," Quinn whispered. It hurt her right to her core.

Santana and Clarisse, normally not given to romantic sentiment with the exception of each other, also looked stricken.

"That's sick," the daughter of Bellona said.

"It's more than that, though," Rachel said. "If it were just that, he'd kill them right away. But he's keeping them alive. Immobile, but alive. I saw it."

"I'm afraid I don't know," Max said. "I know he's tracking a few of the Roman parents out in Seattle and Sacramento, but that's it."

Santana growled, obviously thinking of her father.

Rachel looked over at Quinn. "What do you think?" she asked.

Quinn squeezed her hand and looked at Max. "Let us get rid of your pest problem," she said. "Then we can figure out what to do next."

"The birds," Clarisse said. "Why were they going all the way to Iowa if they were carrying messages back and forth from here to Colorado?"

"He sent them to raid Persephone's orchard. The fruit made them stronger, their poison more deadly. They would come here after stopping there."

"And once he's found out that you're not getting the messages?" Rachel asked.

"He'll…send word to the Minotaur."

"That's our first order of business, then."

* * *

There was a red, shimmering barrier just beyond the back porch. Max had explained that the Minotaur roamed the tobacco field freely, but kept mostly to the grounds just to the east, where the pond was. He drew them a small map to take along, as the tobacco plants were rather high at that point.

Quinn took Rachel's hand and gave it a squeeze. The two of them led the way through the barrier. They stopped short, hearing a yell behind them.

"It won't let us through!" came Clarisse's slightly muffled voice. She and Santana were still on the bottom step of the porch, trying to get through whatever was protecting the house.

"Sherman!" Quinn yelled. "What is this?"

"I…I don't know!" Max said. "There must be a limit to how many people can go through."

The blonde turned and noticed Rachel's look of steely determination. "We'll have to go on without them," she said.

Rachel nodded and looked down at the map. "It's this first path, here."

They walked farther into the field, stopping every so often to check the map. It was eerily quiet—no birds or bugs, even.

"Lambda," Rachel said.

"Huh?"

"The trails through the field make a Lambda, a Theta and a Sigma. I wonder why…."

"Who knows," Quinn said, shrugging. "We can ask when we get back."

"So how do you kill a Minotaur?" Rachel wondered aloud.

"Brute strength. Cunning. We really…what's that clicking noise?"

"Sorry," Rachel said, holding up one of the labyrinth puzzles she'd been fiddling with in her pocket.

"It's cool. I wonder—" she stopped as Rachel put a hand over her mouth and motioned for her to listen. She heard it too, now. The harsh grunting noise coming from near the pond. They both turned slowly, and saw it standing tall over the stalks.

And more importantly, it saw them.

"Quinn?" Rachel whispered.

The clicking and grunting continued as Quinn tried to steal her nerves. "Yeah?"

"I have a plan. Can you keep it distracted and get it near those rocks?"

With a quick glance to her right, Quinn saw an open patch of land in front of a crop of boulders just near the pond. She gave a brief, solid nod as the Minotaur roared, and both of them took off running.

Quinn ran at the Minotaur, then dodged to the left, barely missing its claws. She ran around it again to keep its attention, and noticed that Rachel was nowhere to be seen. She hoped the younger girl's plan was a quick one, or else this could get ugly real fast.

* * *

Rachel had ducked into a row of plants when Quinn charged the Minotaur. She kept her bow at the ready, just in case, and kept her eyes on the fight. Quinn was doing well, but she didn't want to push it. Her mind and right hand were working arrow fast as she solved the last steps of the puzzle, not even glancing down for a moment. For the first time, she felt like a child of Athena. She didn't have to fight—just think. And damn, was she thinking.

She saw Quinn take a leap off one of the boulders and cut a gash in the monster's shoulder. Unfortunately, its other arm came around and caught her in the stomach, sending her sprawling.

Rachel set the puzzle down momentarily and reached into her pocket for one of the vials of Stymphalian Bird dung. She smashed it on the ground, swiped the tip of her arrow through it, and took aim. The words her brother Greg had said to her at camp rang in her head at that moment.

_Remember, you're never aiming high enough._

She raised her arrow just a fraction, waited for the wind to shift, and let fly.

It struck the Minotaur in the shoulder, which smoked and burbled as the poison went in. It roared and turned, charging toward her.

There was no time to run. She grabbed the puzzle and went about twisting and turning and sliding.

It was twenty yards away…fifteen…ten…five….

There was a set of clicks and Rachel threw it as hard as she could at the Minotaur's feet, ducking and rolling away from it. There was the sound like a thousand swords being unsheathed, and when she looked up, the Minotaur was trapped in a cage of Celestial Bronze. She took a few deep breaths and walked toward it slowly. The monster was charging the bars, but they held firm. She reached out and plucked the labyrinth emblem from the lock. The glow died, but the bars held firm.

"Well done," Quinn said, panting as she approached from the other side. "That was…wow."

"Let's get back to the others," Rachel said, taking her hand.


	10. Chapter 10

**Demigod**

The barrier let them through when they returned to the house. Mr. and Mrs. Sherman looked intensely relieved to see them, but not half so much as Santana and Clarisse. The other two demigods both pulled them into vice-like hugs.

"Ow! Mother of Zeus, Clarisse!" Quinn yelped, wincing.

Rachel laughed as Santana swung her around.

"Knew you two could beat it!" she said.

"Then why do you look so relieved to see us?" Quinn quipped.

"Shut it…."

"Well…we certainly are happ—" Max started, but quickly cut off when Rachel held up a hand.

"Your computer that you use to track demigods' parents. Is it safe for us to use?"

"Er…uh…yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Then you're going to print out a list of all the parents you were going to hand over to your brother tomorrow. Mrs. Sherman, does that fountain in the front yard work?"

"Sure does, dear."

"Santana, go get your _drachma _ready. We'll send an Iris message back to both camps with the names so they can send protection out. We may have killed the Stymphalian Birds, but the harpies are still around. Then we'll go after Hector."

"Where is he now?" Quinn asked, smiling at Rachel's newfound assertiveness. The young demigod was obviously done fucking around.

Max's eyes closed. "I'll give you the names. But why should I help you smite my brother off the face of the earth? He's…he's the only family I have left, after our mother died."

"He's taking other people's families away," Quinn said, quiet fury radiating from her, all trace of a smile gone. "A baby was delivered to Camp just before we left."

Max looked supremely uncomfortable, and shifted a bit. "I don't want him hurt."

"Tough luck, if he decides to fight us."

"That's my brother!"

"And he has my fathers," Rachel said. "Are you really telling me you just let us take care of the Minotaur for you, but now you're perfectly happy to let your brother keep ripping families apart?"

"No…I mean…it's complicated."

"No it really isn't," Clarisse said.

Everyone turned to stare at where she was leaning against the counter, snaking on one of the mini bunt cakes Mrs. Sherman had sat out.

"Your brother was a big shot, even though you didn't make it to Camp until your mother was dying and couldn't protect you from the monsters anymore. You were what…sixteen, seventeen?"

"Seventeen," he mumbled.

"And he was automatically accepted, while you were a computer nerd with no muscle and had to work twice as hard to be half as good at battle training. And you tried to be accepted in the Athena cabin, but this was back when we had Hogwarts level house loyalty, so that probably went over about as well as Jackson's blue cupcakes. Bullied all your life, but told that you have to put up with it because he's your family—waahhh, wahhh, wahhhhh…. Old habits die hard. In a nutshell, you're too chicken shit to stand up to him."

Max looked away from them.

The young demigods glanced at each other.

"We don't care about your sob story," Clarisse said. "I fought wars with demigods who have infinitely more dysfunctional families, and they still stepped up to the plate. We're going to get those parents back. Where is your brother?"

Max stood there, nervous eyes darting back and forth between each of the four demigods.

"You don't have to be brave," Santana said. "We'll do that for you."

Rachel held up the labyrinth emblem. "Or I could go unlock the Minotaur's cage."

Max hung his head. "He works as a guide at Cave of the Winds. Just west of Colorado Springs."

"A cave," Rachel said. "That's why it was so cold and damp—"

"And the lighting. You said it was weird blue light," Quinn said. "Some cave tours will light caves with different colored lanterns to end with a bit of a bang. If he's keeping them in a section of the tour that's been sectioned off…."

"Let's get those names," Santana said.

* * *

An hour later, they'd showered and eaten again at Mrs. Sherman's insistence. She loaded them down with snacks and drinks as they prepared to leave.

"Crap…" Clarisse muttered, trying to rev the car. "We're out of gas."

"What?" Rachel asked.

"Out of gas. We can use regular gas, but the flying function isn't going to work without some seriously powerful stuff to go in the tank."

"Ambrosia?" Santana suggested.

"We don't have enough," Quinn said.

"What about my apple?" Rachel asked. "We still have most of it, and we could probably get away with only using a few slices."

"We can't take that chance," Clarisse said. "We don't know what we're up against."

"Either we risk it, or we're spending time we don't have to get up to Colorado."

"How long does it take to get there from here?"

"About fifteen hours, not including stops."

"Let's do it," Santana said quietly.

Rachel ran in and pureed three of the apple slices in Mrs. Sherman's food processor, while Clarisse and Max found some regular gas in the garage. To each demigod's relief, it worked.

"Good luck," Max said, as they boarded the RV again. "I hope…I hope you get those people back to their children."

"Don't worry, we will," Clarisse said, shutting the door.


	11. Chapter 11

**Demigod**

An hour after the last Cave of the Winds tour cleared out, a lantern came on. It was the only light in the place, other than the security lamps that shone over the main entrance to the cave.

Rachel led the way through the offices, finally stopping when she got to the one that read "H. Sherman." She entered the empty, cluttered office and held the lantern up to read the map on the wall. "These caves look like their blocked off."

"That one," Santana said, pointing. "In the middle there. It's the only one that is partially accessible by the route he takes for the tour."

"Let's get down there, then," Quinn said. "I'll go in front with the light. Rachel, do you have the traps ready?"

"Yeah," Rachel said, nodding.

"I'll bring up the rear," Clarisse told them. "We sticking to just one lantern?"

"Probably a good idea."

"Then let's roll."

They made their way to the service entrance of the caves, looking up every once in a while for any winged foes. They met no one, neither demigod nor creature, as they descended into the tunnels. It was slow going, creeping along with only the dim blue light to guide them. Each kept one hand on their weapon and one on the back of the person in front of them. Every once in a while, they'd stop and check the map.

"Just here," Quinn said finally. "Over this…ridge."

They'd each climbed up on the rock and were facing a wall.

"I don't understand," Santana whispered. "It says the cave entrance is right here."

"Well the maps are those weird historical ones…" Clarisse mused. "Maybe it's been blocked off. Maybe it's one of the other ones."

"No…" Rachel said, inspecting the bottom of the rock. "It's here. Look, hinges. Give me the lantern, Quinn." She ran her fingers along the rock until she was about two feet from the edge.

"Careful," Santana whispered.

"I know." Her fingers skimmed a patch of rock that felt a bit different. "Got it." She pushed, and panel rotated outward to reveal a computer screen.

"What the hell?"

"It's just a bunch of squares," Quinn said.

Rachel touched one of them. It turned blue before going pale yellow again. "It must be a touch and drag password—like on an iPhone."

"So what do you think the password is?" Clarisse asked, not taking her eyes off the cave ceiling.

"Maybe his initials?" Santana suggested. "He's narcissistic enough, and no one's supposed to know about this place to try to hack into it."

Rachel drew a capital HS on the screen. It blinked red a few times before returning to normal.

"Let's think for a moment," she said. "In case there's a certain number of times we can guess before an alarm goes off."

They stood perfectly still for a moment. Then, with a chuckle, Clarisse came forward and drew a drawn bow. "Son of Apollo, and not terribly clever. Plus, I saw a drawing of it on his desk."

They lined up on either side of the door as the rock panel slid down. A bright blue glow washed through the cave, and there was a screech as six harpies came zooming out of the cave.

Rachel had been ready for this. "Everybody together in the middle!" she said. They huddled up, facing outward, and she shot one arrow up. A net exploded from it. "Roll toward the cave!"

When the net came down, they saw five of the six underneath.

"Stay here," Rachel said. She ran back out, hand in her pocket, keeping her eyes on the sixth one. It was zooming toward her. When it was almost within reach, and the ropes on the net were snapping from the trapped harpies' claws, she threw the labyrinth puzzle down and dove toward the edge of the cliff.

This time, there was a sound like a gong going off, and the cage sprang up, trapping all of the monsters.

Rachel crawled away from the ledge and walked around the glowing structure. She took the emblem from the lock and the glow died, leaving only the blue light from the tunnel. "You guys okay?"

"Fine," Quinn said, hugging her. "Quick thinking there."

"Yeah, well, you know…" Rachel said, panting. "Daughter of Athena and all that."

They all let out some nervous laughter before moving farther into the cave.

The blue light got brighter and brighter, until the tunnel opened up into the room from Rachel's dream.

"This is super freaky," Santana muttered as they walked through the hall of frozen parents.

"Let's split up and see if there's a way to turn them back," Clarisse said.

"Then what?" Quinn asked. "There's got to be thirty people here."

"On it already," Santana said. "I put a call in to Jackson and Jason Grace. Reinforcements are on the way. We've just got to get them out of the caves."

"Come on, Rachel," Quinn said. "Let's take this half."

Rachel followed the same path as she had in her dream, but this time she kept her eyes up. She knew where her fathers were, that wasn't the problem. Any minute now, Hector was going to come back. "Quinn?"

"Do you see them?"

"There." She began to walk toward her parents, noticing that their light was dimmer than in her dream, when they all heard it.

"YOU!"

All of them turned, weapons at the ready. Hector jumped down from the platform that they had only just noticed. He slammed his hand into the wall, and the staircase receded into the rock wall.

"There's another computer up there," Quinn said.

There was a screech, and two more harpies entered the cave.

"Can you keep him busy?" Rachel asked.

"I got it. Do what you've gotta do."

Rachel shot an arrow and trapped one of the harpies in a net. Santana was fighting the other one, while Clarisse shielded her from the arrows Hector was firing. Rachel found a handhold on the rocks above her, and began to scale the wall.

"Don't look down. Don't look down. Don't look down," she chanted. She flinched and nearly lost her grip as an arrow went shooting by her head. After a few seconds clinging to the rocks, she began to climb again. She looked down and saw Quinn giving Hector a run for his money. The harpy was still giving Clarisse and Santana trouble…until it spotted her. "Shit," she said, climbing faster.

The harpy reached her just as she got to the top. It clawed a gash in her side as she rolled to avoid it. She clubbed it over the head with Endymion, but it just shook itself and came screeching back at her.

"Duck!"

Rachel hit the ground, and an arrow zoomed over her, hitting the harpy. Unfortunately it also hit the computer screen. Luckily, the touch pad was unharmed when she pushed the dead harpy to the ground. She went to the side panel and hit the button, making the ground shake and the stairs reappear.

By now, Santana, Quinn and Clarisse had subdued Hector. They marched him up the stairs.

"Fix them," Clarisse snarled at him.

"Oh, I can fix them all right," he said. "I put in one password, they die."

"They're connected to those I.V.s," Rachel said, pointing to the tubes coming up from the floor. "They're getting doses of…something."

"Part paralytic, part Lotus…juice," Hector said smugly. "One password adds the poison, one stops everything and brings them back."

"Shut up!" Rachel snapped. She needed to think. A hand came to rest on her shoulder, and she felt herself calm down as she looked at the destroyed screen. It was totally gone—they were going to have to get it right without any help. She looked around the control panel, spotting a mug of coffee, a Koosh ball, and a picture of Hector and an older-looking lady.

"You won't get it," Hector taunted, then grunted as Clarisse punched him in the gut.

Rachel glanced around again, eyes falling on the picture. "You mom?"

"What's it to you?" Hector wheezed.

"That answers that question. What's her name?"

"Get fuc— OW!" he yelled as Quinn hit him.

"Watch your mouth."

"I got it!" Rachel said. She pulled a sheet of paper out of her pocket. It was the map from the ranch. She drew a lambda, a theta, and a sigma on the touch pad as Hector shouted and struggled to stop her. "Their mom's initials."

Below them, the parents started to stir. Near the mouth of the cave, there was a shout.

"Clarisse!"

"Jackson! We're in here!"

"Let's go get your dads," Quinn said, smiling at Rachel.


	12. Chapter 12

**Demigod**

Percy and Jason Grace were at the front of the hall when the group descended the stairs. Jason looked like he'd just stepped out of a tornado, while Percy looked like he'd been through a thoroughly exhausting swim.

"Are they okay?" Percy asked, pulling on a hoodie.

"No clue," Clarisse said. "We've got to go unhook them."

"Jason, do your thing," Percy said.

Jason smiled at the group and stepped forward. In a calm, clear voice, he called, "My name is Jason Grace, son of Jupiter. We're going to help you. We're going to get you back to your homes. Please be still as our satyrs come to help you."

The hall was flooded with demigods and healers in another minute. Rachel wandered back to where her fathers were standing, and beamed at them. "Dad! Daddy! Be still – someone's coming to help."

"Pumpkin?" Leroy Berry asked sleepily. "Where are we?"

"Colorado. I promise I'll explain everything when we get you out of here."

"Hey Rachel!" a demigod called. "What do you want to do with this?" he asked, kicking a tied up Hector Sherman in the shins.

"I don't know…ask Percy!" she called. She watched as the satyrs came around and detached her fathers from the IVs, and followed closely as they helped the parents out of the cave.

"All accounted for," Quinn told her, catching up. "All still…er…with us."

Rachel smiled brightly, then shivered as they made it out into the open air. "What do we do now? There's no way all of them are going to fit into the RV."

"Dad's granted us safe passage through the air," Jason said.

"Lucky bastards," Percy grumbled.

"Well, that's all well and good," Clarisse said. "But you're the only one who can fly, unless someone's got a plane stashed somewhere."

"Allow me to introduce you to Moses Evelyn," Jason said, leading them over to a large black man. "Son of Apollo, and pilot."

"I'm going to take the New York group back. I've got my wife on standby at our bed and breakfast for the rest of you – more than enough room. When I get back in a day, we'll figure out where the rest of you need to be."

"Thanks, sir," Quinn said.

"My pleasure. Now, all aboard the van for the airport, New Yorkers."

"What about Erato?" Rachel asked Quinn.

"Santana and I can take the RV back to Texas," Clarisse volunteered. "You stay with your dads."

"I'll come back with you," Percy said. "I'm still on Zeus's 'No Fly' list."

"We'll send you an Iris message when we get back," Quinn said.

* * *

Most of the parents and demigods slept on the way back, but Quinn and Rachel stayed up with Hiram and Leroy.

"We're so proud of you," Hiram said, once the girls had finished explaining the story.

"This camp of yours," Leroy said. "Will you be wanting to go back?"

Rachel felt Quinn tense beside her. "Yes. I still have a lot to learn and…I have friends. It's where I belong."

"More than Broadway?"

"Yes. And I can still be on Broadway, maybe. But…Camp Half Blood is my home now. I know that sounds strange—"

"After this, nothing sounds strange," Leroy said with a gentle smile.

"We should get some sleep," Rachel said. She leaned against Quinn and closed her eyes.

Quinn gave the two men a nervous smile before nodding off herself.

* * *

The throne room of Olympus sparkled. The gods were larger than anything Rachel had ever seen, and she found it hard to look at them – even her mother. For the first time, she noticed Hector looking truly scared.

He wasn't the only one. No matter how many times they'd been to Olympus or in the presence of their parents, the rest of the demigods were highly uncomfortable as well. However, trapped in one of the labyrinth cages, the older man looked the most frightened of all.

"Tell us, Hector, son of Apollo," Zeus began. "How did you come by the harpies?"

"A gift from an apothecary in Rome, my lord Zeus," Hector answered.

"And the plan once you'd obtained enough of our children's parents?"

There was a ringing silence that stretched on so long, the young demigods began to squirm. The jumped and were still at Zeus's booming command.

"The TRUTH, son of Apollo!" he bellowed.

Rachel felt Quinn put a hand on her back. She looked around to see Santana staring fixedly at the ground, Clarisse not looking away from her fathers, Percy looked straight at his father's empty throne, and Quinn was looking at her mother. Jason Grace seemed the only one comfortable with looking at the king of the gods.

"I…planned to sacrifice them."

All the demigods flinched.

"Young demigods, come forward," Zeus said.

With hesitant feet, the six teens moved in front of Hector's cage.

"You have done well," Zeus said. "And saved families from being torn apart. You have our thanks."

"Lord Zeus," they all muttered, bowing.

"Stand near Lord Poseidon's throne, demigods," he commanded. When they all moved close to him, he stood. At full height, they came up to his ankle. He took the Master Bolt from a sling on his shoulder. "You will witness what happens when demigods rise against us, and their kind."

Rachel felt a thrill of trepidation, and Quinn took her hand as Zeus pointed the bolt at Hector. She shut her eyes, as did the rest of them, but the flash was bright, and the power from the bolt knocked them to the floor. After a moment, she opened them again and struggled to her feet.

There was a large black spot in the middle of the cage. It was slowly disappearing. The gods were dispersing now, paying no heed to the demigods. Athena smiled gently at Rachel before sweeping from the hall.

"Rachel," Quinn said. "My mother wants to see us."

"What?" Rachel asked, looking around. Aphrodite had shrunk to human size and was standing in the hall. She looked at Quinn, who nodded, and they walked over to the goddess.

"My child, and young Rachel." The goddess reached out and ran a hand down their shoulders. "It's good to see you."

They stayed quiet. Quinn looked a bit flushed, like she was about to cry or faint, or both.

"I wanted to see you both, but we don't have too much time. The laws on contact have been relaxed, but Zeus would prefer we limit ourselves anyway. I wanted to give you both my blessing. I don't give those lightly. The two of you face a rough road, but you are, as I'm sure you've felt, each other's mates. True demigod mates are an exceedingly rare thing, and I'm happy my child has found hers. Quinn," she said, holding out a box.

Quinn opened it and her eyes went wide. "M-mother?"

"A gift for you and your love. The two of you may not understand everything yet, but I feel your connection very deeply. Others may doubt your love, but have faith in each other."

Quinn took two pink marble bracelets from the box. They were surprisingly light. She passed one to Rachel and they both put them on.

"Thank you, Lady Aphrodite," Rachel said.

"Indeed, my young demigod. Now, go collect your cage. Your friends are looking quite apprehensive." She leaned down and kissed them both on the forehead.

This time, Quinn really did swoon a bit, but Rachel steadied her as the goddess stalked off to her chambers.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Yeah," Quinn breathed.

They walked back to the group where Percy had dismantled the cage. There was still a faint black spot on the tile. He tossed the trap at her.

"Thanks," she said.

"You two okay?" Clarisse asked.

"Parental affection," Santana guessed. "Gets us every time."

"Let's get home," Jason said.

The camp was still up and buzzing when they returned. Mr. D nodded as they joined the campfire.

* * *

"The heroes return," he said sarcastically. "Jackson, glad to see Zeus didn't blast you off the face of the earth."

"I think I'm starting to grow on him," Percy joked, then flinched when thunder rumbled in the distance. "Kidding!" he called to the sky.

"What are those?"

Everyone turned to where Drew was pointing at Rachel and Quinn.

Quinn looked down at their joined hands. "Hands. You have two of them yourself."

"Cut the crap, Fabray. You know what I mean."

"Bracelets. A gift from mother. She gave us her blessing."

There was a gasp from the entire camp.

"And you can't get one of those with Charm Speak ," Rachel added with a smug look.

That shut Drew up. She sat back on her bench, sulking.

"I think that's enough for one evening," Chiron said. "Good night."

The campers dispersed. Quinn walked with Rachel as far as the Athena cabin.

"Good night," she said, glad that it was dark and no one could see her blush.

"Good night, Quinn," Rachel said, smiling. She leaned up and kissed her gently on the lips. "Cat's out of the bag – no need to be shy anymore."

Quinn grinned at her. "Did you mean it? You're going to stay here?"

"Absolutely."

"I'll see you in the morning then, demigod."

**_Fin_**


End file.
